Mail-box.



T. W. ANDERSON.

MAIL BOX. APPLICATION IILBD MAY 13, 1908- 899,781; Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

anvenlfoz THOMAS w. ANDERSON, or sEALE, ALABAMA.

. MAIL-BOX.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patentedsept. 29, 1908.

Application filed May 213, 1908. Serial K004323677.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that -I, THOMAS W. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at-Seale, in the county ofRusselland Stateof Alabama, have invented a new and useful- Mail-Box, of which the following is "a specification.

This invention relates to mailboxes-such as used upon rural free delivery routes, and more particularly to supports for the boxes.

The object of the invention is to provide a box support designed to normally hold the box-at a predetermined elevation but which can be drawn downward to permit the box to be swung into the vehicle in which the carrier is located.

posed to the elements. 1 Another object is to provide a box support which shall automatically return the box to raised position as soon as the carrier releases it.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a support embodying the present improvements, the same, being shown in dotted lines in lowered position. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the base portion of the'sup or-t, parts thereof and of the post being bro 'en away. Fig. 3 is anedge view ofthe upper 'portion of the supportand its connection with the box. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the arms of a modified form. Fig. 5 is a transverse section therethrough.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates a post, preferably three or four feet in height, and designed to be located at the side of a road. The mail box B, which can be of any preferred construction, is designed to be connected to the post by means of the support constituting the present invention. This support consists of a base plate 1. secured by means of-screws or in any other suitable manner to the top of post A, and resting upon this base plate is a disk 2 having a stud 3 extending downward from the center thereof and mounted to rota-te in the center portion of the plate 1.

gether and consequently in an u It thus becomes possible to remove mail from and place it'into the box in wet weather without requiring the carrier. to leave the vehicle and thus become ex- 1 Secured upon this disk 2 are oppositely-disposed angular brackets 4 spaced apartasuitable distance to receive parallel arms'5' and 6. These arms are disposed inthe same plane and are of the same however, is pivoted to the brackets 4 at a length. The arm 5,

oint'nearer the disk 2 than is the arm 6.

oth-of the arms are held normally in contact by'mean-s of a-ooiled spring 7 arranged diagonally upon one face of the two arms .and-connectedto said arms'in any preferred manner adjacent opposite ends thereof. This spring is constantly under stress and therefore tends to hold the two "arms pressed toand the two arms 5 and -6 project between the brackets and are mounted on pivots 9,

. the ivot of -the arm6 being arranged nearer the ox than the pivot of the otherarm. In

other words, the distance between the two pivotsof each arm is the same. A'chain or other flexible actuating device. 10 is secured to the "brackets 8 and is preferably provided at its free end with a ring '1 1.

As-heretofore stated, the spring 7 holds-the arms 5 and 6 normally pressed together and the box Bis thereforenormall'ysupported by the arms directly above the post A. When the mail carrier desires to place the mail however, leaving the vehicle in which he is seated, he may reac -out and pulldownward on the chain '10. This will cause the two arms '5land 6 to swing downon-their respective pivots thus increasing the stress of the spring 7 but maintaining the "box B in an upright position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lowered arms and the box can then be swung into the vehicle, and after the interchangeof mail has been effected the carrier can swing the box out of the vehicle and push upward on the arms, whereupon the tensioned spring 7 will draw the arms back to their normal or upright positions. The support herein described is also advantageous because it serves to hold the box at a greater elevation than would otherwise be ossible and, therefore, the danger of injury to the box by passing vehicles is reduced to the minimum.

If preferred, in lieu of forming arms 5 and 6 of flat strips of metal each arm may be formed of a hollow semi-cylindrical member such as one-half of a split tube. The two 7 0 right posiwithin or remove it from the box without,

arms, which have been indicated at 12 and 13 in Figs. 4 and 5, when upright, contact so as to form a tubular housing in which the spring 14 is located. This spring is fastened at opposite ends to the respective arms. Otherwise the arms operate in the same manner as do those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This construction is advantageous because the spring 14 is housed at all times except when the box is inlowered position.

at is claimed is 1. Asupport for mail boxes comprising revolubly supported base brackets, box-engaging brackets, normally vertical parallel arms pivotally connected at their ends to the base and ox-engaging brackets, and an elastic connection between the arms for holding said arms normally in contact and in vertical position.

2. A support for mail boxes comprising bottom brackets mounted to rotate in a complete circle, box engaging brackets, parallel arms pivotally connected to the brackets, said arms and brackets being so connected as to maintain the box-engaging brackets at a predetermined angle to the horizontal irrespective of the movement of the arms, and an elastic connection between the arms for maintaining said arms normally vertical and in contact.

3. A support for mail boxes comprising a disk mountedto completely rotate, brackets upstanding therefrom, box-engaging brackets, parallel arms pivotally connected to the brackets and disposed to maintain the boxengaging brackets at a predetermined angle to the horizontal irrespective of its elevation and the movement of the arms, and elastic means for connecting the arms for maintaining them normally vertical and in contact and means connected to and extending from one of the brackets whereby the support may be actuated.

4. A mail box support comprising upper and lower brackets mounted to completely rotate, parallel arms pivotally connected to the brackets and mounted to swing vertically, said arms and brackets beingso disposed as to maintain the upper bracket in a predetermined relation-to the horizontal irrespective of the movement of the arms and of the elevation of the upper brackets, and means for maintaining the arms normally vertical and in contact.

l I I l 5. A mail box support comprising a base, a disk mounted to completely rotate thereon, a bracket upstanding from the disk, parallel arms pivotally connected to the bracket, yieldable means for holding the arms normally vertical and in contact, and means pivotally connected to the arms for engaging a box.

6. A mail box support comprising a base, parallel pivoted arms mounted to rotate above the base, elastic means for maintaining the arms normally vertical and in contact, said arms being movable against the action of said means in a downward direction, and box-engaging means pivotally connected to the arms and maintained thereby in a predetermined relation to the horizontal during the movement of the arms, the pivots of said means being normally disposed in vertical alinement with the lower pivots of the arms.

7. The combination with a support; of a base plate secured thereon, a disk mounted to rotate upon the plate, a bracket on the disk, parallel arms pivotally connected to the bracket and mounted to swing vertically, a box-engaging bracket pivoted to the arms and cooperating with the first-mentioned bracket to maintain the arms parallel during their swinging movement, elastic means connecting the arms for maintaining them normally vertical and in contact, the pivots of the box engaging bracket being normally disposed in vertical alinement with the lower pivots of the arms, and means connected to one of the brackets to facilitate the actuation of the arms.

8. A mail box support comprising base and box engaging brackets, parallel hollow arms pivotally connected to the brackets and normally contacting at their longitudinal edges, and a spring normally housed between the arms and secured at its opposite ends thereto, said spring constituting means for holding the arms normally vertical and in contact, said arms when in normal position completely concealing the spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS TV. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. HOLLAND, FRANK M. DE GRAPPENRIED. 

